How to use this Page

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Once a Champion pushed all the right buttons for me.  Both the heroine and hero are wounded in believable ways, and both are struggling to make sense of their new realities.  Matt is an aging rodeo star with a torn up knee, a will to compete that won’t die, and no other options in life.  He refuses to take good advice and retire for the sake of his body.  He knows that he has at least another good season in front of him, if only he can work past his injury.  Liv has been raised to always be agreeable, to always give in to other people’s happiness, despite how unhappy it makes her.  She has been drilled that she must always compromise for the sake of family and relationships, until that doesn’t work for her any more.  And what draws the line in the sand for her?  An injured horse that she refuses to give up on.

I loved how the plot threads tied Matt and Liv together.  Liv had a hopeless crush on Matt in high school.  She tutored him so he could bring his grades up, a requirement if he wanted to continue to compete in the rodeo.  Once he’s in the clear, though, instead of Liv’s dreams coming true and the two of them getting together, Matt starts dating Liv’s stepsister.  Ouch!  Quiet and trained to never cause waves, Liv suffered in silence, watching as her dream guy walked out of her life and never gave her another thought.

Flash forward to the now, and Matt is frantically searching for his missing horse.  He heard a rumor that it’s on Liv’s father’s farm, so off he goes to see if it’s true.  And it is true.  Liv bought Beckett from Matt’s wife, right before their divorce.  The horse’s back was an infected mess, and Liv wasn’t going to leave him in Matt’s care.  Matt was off on the circuit, and he had no idea that his wife sold his horse.  Now he wants him back, and he feels that his future depends on it.  Liv refuses to sell Beckett back to an animal abuser, and the two of them go toe to toe about the ethics of Liv keeping the horse from him.

What Matt doesn’t know is that Beckett was the catalyst to Liv’s self-discovery.  Her fiancé forbid her from buying the horse.  Something snapped inside Liv, and she realized what an unhappy road she was headed down if she stayed with Tim.  When he tells her to pick between him or the horse, I’d have picked the horse, too!  This is the moment that Liv takes a long hard look at herself and decides that she doesn’t like who she is.  She’s going to buy that horse, start her physical therapy practice in the small town where she grew up, and move in with her cranky dad while she figures out what she’s going to do with her life, and who she wants to be.  Little does she know that that horse is going to change her life, Matt’s life, and her father’s life.

I liked both Matt and Liv.  Matt is desperate to get back on the rodeo circuit so he can ignore his messed up family.  If he can’t compete, he doesn’t have many options for a career.  While his family owns a successful ranch, he’s been so angry at his father for the better part of the last 15 years that the thought of working with him makes him spitting mad.  Ignoring his doctor, his physical therapist, and even Liv, he continues to push himself and his knee.  His mid-life crisis is of epic portions.

Liv has two stubborn men to deal with now: Matt and her dad.  Once she lets her guard down about Matt, she decides she’s going to burn off some steam.  Her dad is making her crazy because she knows that he’s not feeling well, but he won’t admit it.  His communication skills are practically zero.  So Liv needs a distraction.  Making it very clear that they can never have a relationship, she and Matt start stumbling down the road of something that looks very much like one.  Liv refuses to compromise any more though, and she thinks that if she and Matt are a couple, she will lose the independence that she’s just so painfully gained.  So she draws another line in the sand, but this one taunts her at every turn.

I enjoyed Once a Champion so much.  It’s like the plot was written just for me.  There’s all of the horsey stuff, fun drill team practices, calf roping, and even Craig, Matt’s geeky teenage cousin.  All of the pieces fit so well together, and they revolved around things that I love reading about.  I could empathize with Liv, and Matt, too.  Who wants to always give in gracefully, without ever getting what they want?  Who wants to give up on a lifetime of competition, even though, physically, it’s the smart thing to do?  The supporting characters were engaging, and that final sentence, in that wonderful epilogue?  Perfect!

Grade:  B+

Review copy purchased at Harlequin.com

From Amazon:

It starts with the horse…

Liv Bailey never forgot her high school crush. Champion roper Matt Montoya always did have that irresistible daredevil swagger. But Liv isn’t Matt’s shy tutor anymore. She’s a grown woman and a physiotherapist with a painful past. Matt isn’t the only tough one now, and when their tempers clash over a horse they both claim ownership of, sparks fly in more ways than one.

Liv’s willing to let Matt bring some passion into her life, but when he opens his heart to her, she’s scared of being hurt again. Liv knows there’s more there than just desire—if she can only trust the cowboy who loves her.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Finally a Hero did not really work for me.  It is a fascinating read, but the abrupt ending and tepid romance didn’t earn any brownie points from me.  If Jesse’s struggle to become a good man and to put his past behind him hadn’t been so compelling, I don’t think I would have finished the book. 

Jesse has a  history of making poor decisions, and the last blunder put him behind bars for five years.  On the day of his release, he receives an unpleasant surprise.  The mother he hasn’t seen in over five years is waiting to give him a ride, as well as drop a bomb shell on him.  Jesse is the father of a five year boy he didn’t even know existed.  His ex showed up at his mother’s place, sneaking out the bathroom window and leaving the kid behind.   After his mother ditches him in a diner with the unkempt boy, all of the carefully thought out plans for a future on the straight and narrow are immediately derailed.

Jesse has all of fifty bucks on him, ill-fitting clothes, and not much else.  No cell phone, no friends, no real prospects for a bright future.  What he does have is an interview for a job on a ranch, but once the owner learns about Timmy, he doesn’t have the time of day to spare on Jesse.  Desperate, Jesse offers to work for one week for free, and if he doesn’t do a good job, he and Timmy will hit the road.  Jacob is skeptical, but he agrees. 

When Jesse and Jacob arrive at the ranch, Jacob’s daughter Eva is not amused.  She witnessed the whole family drama of Jesse and Timmy being ditched by Jesse’s mother when she was in town, and she doesn’t think Jesse will be a good fit for the ranch.  After a wedding party canceled their reservations, she doesn’t think they can afford him, either, but her father, stubborn as a mule, disagrees.  Eva’s initial attitude towards Jesse is one of suspicion and distrust.  Her father has hired other ex-cons, but they never stick around for long.  Either they break probation or they cut out when the work gets to be too much.  She doesn’t think there is any place for either Jesse or Timmy with them, and she doesn’t need all of the drama, either.

Despite Jesse’s best efforts to be a good dad and provide for his son, he hits roadblock after roadblock.  Matilda, the boy’s mother, has disappeared, and since she left the father’s name blank on Timmy’s birth certificate, gaining custody of him is an expensive, uphill battle he can barely afford.  Timmy also won’t talk, shows signs of abuse, and spends more time hiding under tables than not.  Medical bills and professional fees are almost insurmountable expenses, but Jesse refuses to give up Timmy.  His own mother abandoned him time and again, and he refuses to do that to his own son.

Jesse’s struggles are  heartbreaking.  He is trying to do everything he can to get ahead, or at least to get on an even keel, but he keeps getting knocked down again and again.  Suspicions from the local police force keep tripping him up, and even though he hasn’t done anything illegal, proving it is an entirely different matter.  Eva, at first judgmental, sees how hard Jesse is struggling to provide a stable, safe home for Timmy, and she’s moved to help him as much as she can.  When even her father’s attitude changes and he begins to see fault in everything that Jesse does, she’s desperate to help him keep his job.

While I found Jesse’s attempts to better himself engrossing, I didn’t feel that the romance developed believably.  Eva and Jesse didn’t have much chemistry, and the sudden declarations at the end, as well as some plot points being left in the air, frustrated me.  I will probably read the next book in the series to see if Timmy and Jesse are given any page time, because this HEA felt incomplete to me.

Grade:  C+

Review copy borrowed from my local library

From Amazon:

Suddenly a Daddy  

Jesse Campbell’s determined to forget his past. He’s moving to a dude ranch in Arizona to start getting his act together. Parenthood isn’t part of the picture—until Jesse meets the son he didn’t know he had. Now Jesse has some new goals: learning to be a good father—and a good man. The kind of man Eva Hubrecht, his boss’s daughter, can trust. He knows Eva isn’t happy about Jesse and Timmy coming to the Lost Dutchman Ranch, but the little boy soon starts to win her heart. Jesse can only hope that with time and patience, this rancher’s daughter will find room in her life for him, too. 

The Rancher’s Daughters: Sisters find hope, love and redemption in the Arizona desert.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I purchased Rodeo Dreams from Harlequin.com back in December when they had a sale on eBooks.  Silly me, I didn’t realize the hoops I would have to jump through to read the titles I purchased there on my Kindle.  Unlike Amazon’s simple system for downloading purchased books, I had to download the Overdrive app, go through the hassle of setting up a new account because I used a different email address than the one I had used previously, and then I had to download each title, one by one.  The whole process pissed me off, and I decided that even with a discount, it’s not worth buying direct from Harlequin.  The books and the app were temporarily lost (I don’t use that Kindle very often, and yes, I collect Kindles like some people collect socks. It’s a terrible weakness of mine).  Since I haven’t been feeling well this past week, I was looking for something different to read, and lo-and-behold! I remembered about all of those Harlequins sitting somewhere on a Kindle (somewhere!).

After getting the Overdrive app up and running again, I dove into this book.  I was anxious to read about a young woman who wanted to be a bull rider.  I mean, who in their right mind would want to try to sit on a wild and crazy animal that weighs almost a ton?  An angry beast that wants nothing more than to slam you down on the ground so it can tap dance on your fragile body?  Barrel racing, calf roping, even steer wrestling make more sense that this!  Once I got to understand June’s motivation and began to appreciate her iron will, I could understand why she’d want to do something so dangerous, but me?  No. Thank. You.

June has wanted to ride bulls forever, much to her father’s fury and her mother’s dismay.  Raised on the reservation, June hasn’t had a life of luxury.  Struggling to make ends meet on her mother’s welfare checks, while her father does time in jail, she’s decided that the bull riding circuit is her ticket out of poverty.  If she can only put away some money so she and her mother have a little cushion, she can finish work for her degree and become a teacher.  She knows it’s a long shot to make it to the pros, especially with the chilly reception she’s received from other riders, but she’s not going to let anything stand in the way of her giving it her best shot.

Her biggest obstacle turns out to be Travis, a bull rider who has fallen from the big leagues.  After getting his body busted up by a bull named No Man’s Land, he has become a safety nag.  He doesn’t think June should be allowed to ride because she’ll just get hurt.  He’s still in pain three years later, and thoughts of his harrowing surgeries and physical therapy has left him a changed man.  He’s only riding again because he doesn’t see that he has any other option in life.  He didn’t finish school, he has no other experience, and the thought of working a minimum wage desk job for his current sponsor has him feeling low.  He does know that his come back has to be achieved quickly and that his competitive career has a rapidly approaching expiration date.

When June does her time on a rank bull, the organizer refuses to listen to Travis.  June will have appeal to a younger audience, and if gate sales go up, everyone benefits.  Since he’s not getting any satisfaction talking to Mort about banning her from competition, Travis decides to go straight to the horse’s mouth and tell June she’s making a big mistake if she thinks she can compete on the circuit (especially without a helmet!  I loved his helmet safety nagging.  June, not so much).

Big mistake!  June won’t let anyone chase her off.  Her father’s physical punishments didn’t work, and this noisy guy’s predictions of gloom and doom aren’t going to either.  I loved how grounded June was, and how confident she was in her own abilities.  She knows that she was born to do this, and she’s going to prove it to everyone else.  She quickly makes friends and foes among the other competitors, and finds a pair of cowboys to cover her back in return for keeping their secret. 

I enjoyed Rodeo Dreams, both for the behind the scenes glimpses of the bull riding circuit, and for the strong, determined heroine.  In addition to being driven, June is also smart.  She knows, like Travis, that her bull riding career won’t be long, so she’s going to shoot for the highest placing she can, and she’s not going to let a wet blanket like Travis get in her way.  I liked how the romance developed – slowly and believably as June and Travis both have to make concessions to each other to make their relationship work.  Travis was dumped at the lowest time in his life, and he has serious trust issues that he needs to deal with, too. 

If you’re looking for a romance with a unique heroine, Rodeo Dreams might be just what you’re looking for.

Grade:  B / B+

Review copy purchased from Harlequin.com

From Amazon:

Love is one unpredictable ride

Ride straight to the top of the rodeo circuit—that’s June Spotted Elk’s dream. Yes, bull-riding is a man’s world, but she won’t let anyone—not even a sexy, scarred stranger—get in her way. 

Seasoned bull rider Travis Younkin knows what it’s like to make it to the top—and then hit the bottom. Back in the arena to resurrect his career, he can’t afford a distraction like June. No matter how far he’ll go to protect her from the danger. No matter how deeply the stubborn and beautiful rider gets to him…

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I borrowed Her Knight in the Outback because I have enjoyed several Nikki Logan titles in the past.  I enjoyed this one, too, but I wasn’t convinced that the protagonists will have a HEA.  Eve is just so damaged and heart broken that it was difficult for me to believe that she would be able to successfully put all of her emotional distress in the past and give Marshall all of the attention he deserves.

Eve’s younger brother disappeared almost a year ago.  After waiting unsuccessfully for the police to actually do something, like find him, she quits her job, sells her house, and purchases a converted bus so she can go look for him.  She feels guilty for not seeing the warning signs before he took off, and she can’t believe that he would just leave her and her father.  Armed with missing person posters, she intends to search every single town and city for Travis, and she has no intention of quitting until she finds him.

She comes across an injured motorcyclist on a deserted road, and even though she wants to keep on trucking by, she stops to see if she can assist him.  What if Travis needed help, and no one stopped for him?  When motorcycle dude approaches the bus, Eve is momentarily taken aback.  His bushy beard and tattoo alarm her.  What if he’s part of a motorcycle club?  What if he tries to hurt her in the middle of nowhere, where not even a cell signal is available?

It turns out that Marshall is the one who saves Eve.  After a not so memorable introduction, they cross paths again, and after clearing the air, they agree to travel together for a few days, until Marshall’s route diverges from Eve’s.  Marshall sees how hurt and emotionally vulnerable Eve is, and all he wants to do is help her forget about Travis for a little while and remember the joy of living her own life.  The only problem is that Eve’s guilt keeps getting in the way, and after being on the road for eight months, she has forgotten how to enjoy another’s company.

While the conflict was interesting, I’m not sure I bought the resolution.  Eve learns that Marshall pulled a disappearing act of his own, and she keeps throwing it in his face.  Every time they make some progress in their relationship, Eve is overcome with guilt for enjoying herself while Travis might be dead or worse.  Travis is the sum total of her existence, and she resents Marshall for getting in the way of her self-appointed mission of finding her brother.  Her inability to consider that Travis left of his own free will became tiring, and maybe that’s why the story was such a mixed bag for me.  I had a hard time connecting with Eve, which made it difficult to sympathize with her.

Grade:  C+ / B-

Review copy provided by publisher

From Amazon:

She didn’t know she needed rescuing! 

Eve Read doesn’t need help from anyone. She’s searching for her missing brother and doesn’t want any distractions. Yet sharing her burden with mysterious leather-clad biker Marshall Sullivan is a relief, and soon Eve can’t resist the sparks igniting between them! 

Meteorologist Marshall spends his life on the road, but there’s something about Eve that makes him want to stay put… 

Has Eve finally found what she’s been searching for all along?

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I really enjoy Cathy McDavid’s novels, so I’m a little puzzled why I haven’t read more of them.  I like that her characters are every day people.  There’s not a billionaire in sight, just ordinary folk working hard to get through each day and provide for their families.  They could be my neighbors.  They could be me.  McDavid has a way of taking average problems and building them up into something that’s easy to relate to, and like Donna Alward, simple daily tasks become compelling efforts to better oneself and make the most of each protagonist’s strengths. 

Ryder Beckett is returning home to help his family run The Big Easy, an equestrian facility.  He hasn’t been back in years, and he’s still unable to forgive his mother for lying about his youngest sister’s parentage and breaking up their family.  He can’t understand why she kicked his father out of the house, why she divorced him, and why she hasn’t been paying him the agreed on profits from the The Big Easy.  He’s reluctant to return, but after being fired from his high-paying marketing position, he doesn’t have much choice.  He’ll help out at the family business until he has another option and can return to the career his poor choices have derailed.

Tatum Mayweather is struggling to raise her three young children on her own.  A former teacher, she was pink-slipped and watched in horror as everything she worked so hard for was taken away from her.  She lost a job she loved, her house, and even, for a brief period of time, her kids.  The Beckett’s offered her a job that allowed her to rent another place and reclaim her children from her meddling mother-in-law.  Through all of her misfortunes, her ex-husband was too busy competing on the rodeo circuit to lend a hand or even send some money her way.  Tatum learned the hard way that the only person she could count on was herself, and that there’s no one else out there who will be there for her or her kids.

When Ryder comes back to The Big Easy, he notices the pretty Tatum leading her visibly lame pony into the barn.  Not quite ready to face his family, he helps her with the pony.  Then he realizes that she’s his sister’s best friend, and that he’s known her since childhood.  He’s immediately attracted to her, and Tatum has had a hopeless crush on Ryder since she was a girl.  Can she get involved with him, after learning that he’s just biding his time until he gets another big city job?  Or should she just ignore the feelings she has for the handsome cowboy?

Ryder and Tatum are working to promote the equestrian center and the rodeo events they host, as well as their bucking stock, which is Ryder’s father’s pride and joy.  I enjoyed following along as they worked through their tasks, especially getting ready for the rodeo.  You’d think that as much as I like horses that I would have attended a few rodeos myself, but nope, I haven’t been, so it’s fun to read about them.

Money is a huge issue for Tatum, something I can certainly relate to.  Feeding the kids, keeping a roof over their heads, unexpected medical bills – all of these weigh heavily on her mind.  Ryder lost a plum job, and the offers he’s receiving now are disappointing.  It’s a huge step back for him, and he’s frustrated that one mistake cost him so much.  He feels underutilized at home, though, and he just can’t forgive his mom for turning her back on his dad.  Both Ryder and Tatum have to learn to forgive and let go of the past, starting with themselves.  Life didn’t work out how they had planned, and they are both slow coming up with a new one.  Tatum is worried about losing her kids again, so she doesn’t want to do anything to antagonize her MIL, and number one on the list would be dating Ryder, so she resists.  So hard.  But she can’t say no to him.

If you enjoy sweet romances with a more real life slant, I recommend that you give Her Rodeo Man a try.  Despite the lack of glamorous locations or palatial mansions, it’s a solid, satisfying read with believable conflicts.

Grade:  B

Review copy borrowed from my local library

From Amazon:

RETURNING…HOME? 

Twenty-five years ago, the Beckett family was irrevocably divided by lies told and secrets kept. But Ryder Beckett comes back to The Easy Money to reconcile with his past and help run the rodeo arena until he can find a new job. He’s quick to fall into old ways—taking care of the horses, trying a few of his old rodeo tricks…and falling for Tatum Mayweather. 

Ryder’s childhood friend has become a beautiful woman. But how can he get involved with a single mother of three when he’s only at the ranch temporarily? Tatum deserves a stay-in-one-place kind of guy, and that has never been Ryder. Is the pull of family enough to keep him in Reckless, Arizona? Is this where Ryder truly belongs?

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I checked out The Sheik and the Bought Bride because the original novel was written by Susan Mallery, without realizing that it was illustrated by Takako Hashimoto, the same artist who worked on A Mediterranean Marriage, my review from last Friday.  I love her artwork!  Her illustrations are delicate and airy, and the exotic village in El Deharia was brought vividly to life, both through background details and Victoria’s wardrobe.  Her clothing was beautifully rendered and I loved seeing all of her costume changes.

The plot is a bit ridiculous, but because the art was so pleasing, I just “bought” into it.  Victoria’s father is an unrepentant gambler, and after losing to Prince Kateb, he offers up his daughter Victoria to cover his debt.  In addition to getting caught cheating, he earns Kateb’s distain by purchasing his freedom with his daughter.  Victoria, enraged by both her father’s gambling addiction and Kateb’s implication that she’s part of a scheme to make a play for his money, agrees to accept her father’s debt as her own, but only if she never has to see her father again.

Kateb promptly relocates to a village in the middle of the desert.  His younger brother is next in line for the throne, because their father believes his temperament and business skills are better suited for leading their small kingdom.  Kateb also tells Victoria that he was forced to kill a man when he was a boy, and the ugly scar that mars his handsome visage is both a reminder of his actions and the rebellion against his father that instigated the incident.  The tribesmen don’t need to constantly see his face, because they will only be reminded of the time some of them rose up against the king.

This is fun read.  Victoria is anything but demure, and her boldness both infuriate and intrigue Kateb.  He’s dead set against falling for her, but there is something about her vivacious personality that he just can’t ignore.  When she asks him to help an abandoned young boy, and helps the local craftspeople organize and sell their wares on the internet, she becomes popular with the villagers.  Even his old caregiver champions Victoria and appreciates the new life she’s instilled in the previously staid palace.

Besides the lovely art, there is action, a swordfight, and the romance to kept the reader engaged.   And, wow, I would love to own some of Victoria’s purses and shoes!

Grade:  B / B+

Review copy borrowed from my local library

From Amazon:

Victoria was handpicked to be an assistant by the crown prince of the desert kingdom of El Deharia. So then why would the Imperial Guard suddenly break into her room and drag her away wearing nothing but a negligee? Her good-for-nothing father has been in trouble for gambling before, but to think he would have tried to cheat at cards against Prince Kateb… The prince’s personality is as fierce as his scarred face. He earned the scars amid a failed kidnapping, during which they say he killed a man. Rejecting palace life, he has been known to disappear to a desert village for months at a time. Victoria despises her father, but can’t abandon the promise she made to her dying mother. She pleads with the prince to set him free, and the prince agreed…on one condition. She would become his lover, and join his desert harem!

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Wow! Some times you strike gold when randomly checking books out of the library.  I didn’t even read the blurb for A Wife in Wyoming.  I just saw the cover, which I find very appealing, and clicked Borrow.  Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down.  I’ve been reading Harlequin American Romances forever, and I’ve never noticed Lynnette Kent before, but I enjoyed this so much that I immediately glommed onto her expansive backlist.  Thank goodness for Scribd!

Caroline Donnelly wants to start a program for troubled teens at Circle M Ranch.  Home to the Marshall brothers, Ford Marshall is visiting the ranch for the summer to help with the day to day operations after his oldest brother is injured in a fall from a horse.  What he doesn’t need is a bunch of delinquents running around his property.  He’s outvoted, though, and Caroline moves into the outbuildings with her charges, surly kids who don’t want to work and who have more attitude than is good for them.  Caroline, a social worker, refuses to give up on them, and she insists that with the help of Ford and his brothers, they can provide positive role models for them and set them back on the right track. 

Things don’t go smoothly, and Ford is more certain than ever that they are making a huge mistake.  A high-power attorney from San Francisco, he’s worried about the liability of having the kids underfoot.  What if one of them gets hurt and the parents sue them?  They could lose the family home.  With all of these worries clouding his mind, he’s also attracted to Caroline.  She’s the daughter of a wealthy rancher, and she has always been off limits for Ford.  In high school, she was pretty and popular, at the center of attention.  She rode for the rodeo team, was a gifted barrel racer, as well as a straight A student.  Fifteen years later, he still thinks she’s out of reach, despite his own personal and financial success.

I just loved this story.  The kids added tension to the plot, and they kept Ford and Caroline hopping to ensure they stayed out of trouble.  The teens are on the ranch to learn ranching skills, but none of them knows the first thing about it.  They can’t ride, they  resent their chores, and they constantly grumble about what they’re expected to do.  I enjoyed their introduction to horsemanship, as well as all the page time the horses were allotted.  Yup, once again my personal bias is showing.  Throw a few horses in there, and I am one happy camper.

Caroline and Ford have a lot of issues to work through.  Growing up poor, he pursued his high paying job to help out his brothers.  He sends money home, and he doesn’t feel that he can just give up his position in San Francisco.  Caroline is emotionally invested in her job and her charges, so relocating isn’t an option for her, either.  Their romance seems hopeless, because neither will budge on this.  Even with Ford’s brothers letting him know that they want him home and that they don’t need his money, he still feels obligated to return to a job he doesn’t have a real passion for.

A Wife in Wyoming pushed all the right buttons for me.  It has horses, the rodeo, families in turmoil, and a feel great ending.  I am certain that Ford and Caroline are going to enjoy their HEA, and I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the Marshalls find theirs.

Grade:  B+ / A-

Review copy borrowed from my local library

From Amazon:

RANCH RESCUE 

Ford Marshall returns to Wyoming temporarily to help his brothers run the Circle M. He’s looking forward to some hard work, but also peace and quiet—until Caroline Donnelly hijacks his ranch for her program to help troubled teens. 

Now he’s got unruly kids to deal with, a thousand chores and a growing attraction to Caroline that he isn’t sure he wants to deny. But Ford has nothing to offer a hometown girl. He has to return to his job in the city at some point soon—his brothers depend on that outside income to keep the ranch afloat. So why can’t Ford get the idea of a Wyoming wife, and coming home for good, off his mind?

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Harlequin manga is my crack!  I purchased A Mediterranean Marriage when it was on sale for .99, and I decided to read it last night because, after a stressful week, I had the attention span of a small bug.  This was perfect for  my mood.  It’s fast paced, the art is lovely, and the exotic locale was painstakingly rendered for my reading enjoyment.  The biggest disappointment for me was Rauf, the incredibly jerky hero, who has a grudge against Lilly and treats her terribly, all because she turned him down three years ago and his delicate ego still hasn’t recovered.

Lilly’s family owns a travel agency that Rauf has invested in.  Three years after being rejected by Lilly, he’s still smarting from the perceived slight.  When her company fails to pay contractual dividends for two years, he thinks he’ll finally get his revenge.  Lilly comes to his office in Istanbul to explain, as well as to sell some property in Turkey,  and Rauf is prepared to make his displeasure with her family and their lack of payments well known.  Lilly, however, has documents and bank statements showing that the dividends were, indeed paid, but the money wasn’t going into Rauf’s coffers.  Instead, it was going to a company impersonating his, and Lilly’s family has been scammed for the last two years.

Rauf agrees to give Lilly’s family more time to come up with the money they owe him if she’ll accompany him in Turkey for a week.  During that time, she’s to help go over all of the documentation she’s brought so Rauf’s legal team can go after the scam company.  Because Lilly’s company is almost bankrupt, she has no other options, so she reluctantly agrees to go along with his request.  All the while she has to hide the fact that she’s in love with Rauf.

Rauf, having been burned by beautiful women in the past, instantly suspects Lilly of lying to him.  He doesn’t believe anything she’s told him, and he believes that she’s trying to cheat him out of the money her company owes him.  What’s really sticking in his craw, though, is the constant memory of her rejection.  How dare she?!  How could she possibly be indifferent to his charms?  I thought he was a complete butthead, and if that’s how he treated women, no wonder they only hooked up with him for his money.  He remains unrepentantly petulant until the last two pages.  If the pacing and the illustrations hadn’t been so skillful, I wouldn’t have enjoyed A Mediterranean Marriage as much, because it was so hard to like Rauf.  Lilly is a star, though, forgiving and honest, and Rauf, darn the man, was lucky she forgave him.

Grade:  B / B-

Review copy purchased from Amazon

From Amazon:

Lilly flies to Istanbul to appeal to Rauf Kasabian in person, an investor in her family’s travel company. He is suing the company for allegedly failing to pay its dividends, but she is unaware of any fraud. Rauf, who has gorgeous hazel eyes, coldly abandons her right after taking her virginity because he sees her as a wicked, calculating woman. Unbeknownst to Lilly, he plans to manipulate her for his own desires, thinking she is a fraud and a crook…!

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

So I couldn’t resist the polo.  Where there is polo, there are polo ponies, or so my thought processes would like to think.  And yes, there were horses in Susan Stephens’ In the Brazilian’s Debt, but alas, not enough to keep me happy.  The biggest disappointment, however, was Chico, because he treated Lizzie so terribly after having sex with her.  He went from being Mr Hottie Sex God to Biggest Jerk on the Planet in 0 to 60, and I was like, “What?”

To say that Lizzie comes from a messed up family is the understatement of the year.  When she was 15, Chico and his mentor, Eduardo, visited her family’s stud farm in Scotland, and Lizzie and Chico formed a fast friendship.  Or so she thought.  She confided in him how awfully her parents treated her, and the terrible things that went on in her house, and she begged to go back to Brazil with him and Eduardo.  Chico promised to help her, but he suddenly left without a word to her.  Heartbroken, she watched as her parents brought ruin to the family legacy with their greed and depravity.  Only Lizzie’s grandmother’s intervention saved them from losing the land and farm that had been in the family for generations.

Years later, Lizzie’s the last hope for saving the family farm.  She’s won a scholarship to Chico’s polo training program.  In the intervening years, Chico has become a polo legend, and he’s worked hard to establish a multi-million dollar empire.  Chico came from the slums, and only Eduardo saved him from a life of poverty.  Now he gives back, by mentoring poor youths, and by teaching his equine skills to a select few.  He’s surprised to see Lizzie among the latest group of students; she left him high and dry after her mother accused him of raping her.  He’s still angry that she didn’t take his side, or that she ignored the letters that he wrote to her afterwards. 

There’s a lot of hurt feelings and misunderstandings for Chico and Lizzie to work through, but they both feel the same attraction for each other.  Though Lizzie tries to avoid Chico, it’s nearly impossible.  Still, she resists her feelings for him because finishing the training program means so much to her, and as the instructor, Chico is off-limits.  Until a sultry night, when she throws her inhibitions away. And then he treats her like a Class A Jerk, and my affections for him withered and died like my neglected house planets.

He did manage to get back into my good graces, at least a little bit, after a family tragedy forces Lizzie back home to Scotland. He’s very supportive, and sends her parents packing when they appear on the scene like so many vultures.  They are so awful they’re actually entertaining.  They both deserved an extended vacation at the local penitentiary.

I didn’t like Chico when he was in Brazil.  Chico in Scotland was more tolerable.  Given their history, he knew how poorly Lizzie had been treated by her parents, and that her grandmother was the only family member she could trust.  His casual treatment of her during the party was just…there are no words. He knew what her parents were like, and that at 15, she had no control over their actions (not like she had any control over them as an adult!). She deserved better, and I thought she forgave him far to easily.

Grade:  C

Review copy borrowed from my local library

From Amazon:

Paying for the past…

Lady Elizabeth Fane has two choices: lose her family’s Scottish stud farm or swallow her pride and beg Chico Fernandez for help. She’s never forgiven the arrogant Brazilian polo star for abandoning her years before, so instead she will collect on the debt he owes her. 

Yet in the sultry Brazilian heat passions flare, revealing feelings Lizzie thought she had long conquered. That is until Chico finally reveals the truth behind his desertion and Lizzie realizes that he not only has power over her body but it’s she who is in the Brazilian’s debt!

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I saw this at the library and had to check it out.  Why? Because they don’t have many Harlequin Comics and they are like my crack.  They’ve also greatly improved from the first ones I read, where the words didn’t even stay inside the word balloons.  Why even have word balloons, if the text is going to drift lazily beyond their borders?  It used to drive me crazy, so I’m happy to report that that particular issue is now a non-issue.

Chloe is a housekeeper for the wealthy Carstairs family, and one day, while doing her thing, she’s startled by a handsome man swimming in the pool.  His face and leg are marred by terrible scars, and Chloe learns that he’s Declan, the eldest Carstairs son, and that he survived a horrible mountain climbing accident that took the life of his brother. 

Chloe also discovers that he’s blind, and that he’s irritated with people mollycoddling him.  He’s frustrated that he needs assistance, so Chloe does her best to help him without robbing him of his pride.  She’s confused when Declan demands to know who was visiting with his brother, Adrian, before he died.  Adrian, she insisted, kept to himself.  She doesn’t share that he also stalked her and intimidated her, making her feel threatened whenever he stayed at the mansion.

Declan is still reeling from Adrian’s death.  The last thing he said before he fell off the mountain was that he couldn’t go on with his broken heart.  He then showed Declan a photo on his cell phone, the photo of a beautiful woman who took advantage of his little brother and then spurned him.  Declan vows that he will find her and extract his revenge upon her.

Declan and Chloe begin to grow close, and after a night of unbridled passion, Declan regains his sight.  But wait!  Now that he can see Chloe, he recognizes her as the woman on Adrian’s phone.  Shocked, he flees from the mansion without a word to Chloe.  Chloe is understandably hurt when she doesn’t hear from him in months, and then is suddenly called to work at a party he is hosting.  Once there, he springs his attack, accusing her of using and abusing his brother, and blaming her for Adrian’s death.  These two have quite an obstacle to overcome!

First off, the art is lovely.  The characters are long and lean, and everyone has hair that seems to take on a life of its own.  Facial expressions are easy to decipher, and the action flows seamlessly from panel to panel. 

The story, however, felt too abbreviated.  The introduction is well done, with Chloe helping the stubborn Declan with the things he can no longer do without his sight, but the conclusion was rushed and unconvincing.  Since these Harlequin Comics are only about 150 pages, there is a lot of story to fit into a short amount of space.  Declan treated Chloe horribly and completely misjudged her, and I didn’t think he groveled enough for her forgiveness. 

This is a common complaint I have with the manga based on Harlequin novels, but that being said, I still managed to purchase a bunch of them on Amazon over the weekend because they were priced at .99.  Who could possibly resist that?  If you’re curious about these comics, there are several titles available on Scribd, and you can check your local library too.

From Amazon:

One day, Chloe, the housekeeper of the wealthy Carstairs family’s villa, meets a mysterious man by the mansion’s pool. He has a strong, sun-kissed body with a long scar running down his thigh and a deep scar carved into his cheek. Learning that Declan is the owner of the house, Chloe tries to hide that she was gawking at her boss by greeting him. It is then that she realizes that he is practically blind. It is the beginning of their dangerous relationship, and Declan is on a mission to find the woman who jilted his deceased little brother.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

At one time, I loved romances with sheikhs.  I loved the desert setting, the opulent palaces, and the armchair travel.  Current events have diminished some of this enjoyment, though, so it’s with a bit of trepidation that I pick one up any more.  I can’t remove myself from reality enough to enjoy them as exuberantly as I once did.  I saw some positive reviews for The Sultan’s Harem Bride and since it was at the library, I decided to give it a read before diving into Anne Bishop’s Vision in Silver.

The story worked for me because the author didn’t completely ignore current events.  Heroine Jacqui is suffering from PTSD after witnessing a suicide bombing that took the life of her best friend and fellow news correspondent, Imran.  Once a woman who thrived on adventure and danger to get to truth for her news reports, she’s now uncomfortable in crowds, jumpy at loud noises, and drowning in guilt because it was her lead that got her friend killed, while she walked away physically unscathed.  Emotionally, she’s a wreck, and when she’s given the opportunity to research the lives of women who lived in Jazeer’s  harem, she jumps at the chance.  It’s really her last option; she’s quit her foreign correspondent job and is struggling to find something meaningful to  do instead.

She and Asim clash from the get go.  Asim is distrustful of journalists, and he needs to protect his younger sister from more grief from the press.  He can’t believe that his grandmother invited Jacqui to the palace.  Jacqui is also partly to blame for the death of his cousin Imran.  Nobody can know that Samira is hiding at the palace, instead at an island resort, a story he’s carefully fed to the press.  Asim is skeptical of Jacqui’s motives, and he vows to keep a close eye on her.

I enjoyed The Sultan’s Harem Bride, but there were a few elements that marred that enjoyment.  I thought Asim, though he could be a caring man, acted like a jerk too many times, and he always thought the worst of Jacqui, without any basis for his behavior.  Then, after their steamy affair burns up the sheets, he continues to look for a suitable bride to help him rule his country.  His parents had a destructive, toxic relationship, so he refuses to even consider marrying for love, and instead is looking for a biddable woman to give him heirs.  The thought of considering Jacqui for the position never occurs to him, or when it finally does, he dismisses it because she’s all wrong for him.  Really?  She’s good enough to keep as a toy, for however long their attraction lasts,  but she’s not good enough to marry?  I’ve read this trope a few times in the past few months, and it irritates me every time.  It’s hard to actually like the hero when he’s so dismissive of the heroine.    

Despite my reservations, I liked Jacqui and Samira, and I’m looking forward to reading Samira’s story, The Sheikh’s Princess Bride, in April.

Grade:  C / C+

Review copy obtained from my local library

From Amazon:

WANTED: Desert princess to join harem

Sultan Asim of Jazeer has hundreds of women at his beck and call. So why does he want the only one who threatens to reveal his family’s shameful secrets? 

Journalist Jacqui Fletcher jumped at the chance to write a history of the harem—not to become a sultan’s plaything! But it’s hard to remember her assignment when the sultan’s sensuous caresses spark a fire she’s never experienced before… 

Asim is looking for a pliable princess for a marriage of duty. Brave, beautiful Jacqui couldn’t be more wrong for him. So why does holding her feel so right?

The post Review: The Sultan’s Harem Bride by Annie West appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I didn’t read any further in the blurb than “elephant research and rescue camp” before I added The Promise of Rain to my TBR.  Imagine my delight when the library actually acquired a copy so soon after the release date!  It’s one of the first novels in the Harlequin Heartwarming line that I’ve read, and while I enjoyed the story, I have mixed feelings about certain aspects of it.

Anna Bekker’s life revolves around two things: her four year old daughter, Pippa, and the elephants she’s studying.  When the head of the research department back in the States starts exerting pressure on her about expenses and results, she knows that her funding is in danger.  When she’s told someone will be visiting the camp to audit the books, the last person she expects is Jackson Harper, her former best friend and the love of her life.  He’s also Pippa’s father, a fact that she’s kept secret from him.  Jack is beyond pissed that he’s been kept in the dark about his daughter, and he thinks a wildlife camp in the middle of the Serengeti is the last place she belongs.  It’s dangerous!  There are wild animals! Snakes!  GERMS!  Yes, Jack is a germaphobe, but  that’s not the biggest reason I couldn’t connect with him.  He’s also manipulative, emotionally stunted, and clueless. So, yeah, I didn’t much care for Jack.

Anna, on the other hand, I loved.  She’s dedicated to her daughter and to the elephants she’s researching, and the thought of losing her funding is keeping her up nights, sleepless and worried.  Having her future rest in Jack’s hands is galling, especially when he’s so angry with her about Pippa.   When it turns out that he’s keeping quiet about a conflict of interest regarding her funding, she thinks the chasm between them can’t get any wider.  Then Jack threatens to fight for Pippa’s custody, and she realizes just how wrong she was.

The romance didn’t work for me.  Jack is too anal and too uptight, and if there was any chemistry between Jack and Anna, I didn’t see it.  While they both have trust issues, Jack just didn’t seem like he would ever be capable of being the kind of partner Anna needed.  If I hadn’t liked Anna, the elephants, and the secondary characters so much, The Promise of Rain might have been a DFN for me.  Instead, I loved the details of Anna’s work and the descriptions of the camp and the wildlife preserve. The romance, unfortunately, fell flat for me.

Grade:  C+

Review copy obtained from my local library

From Amazon:

He wants to take her child out of Africa…

The Busara elephant research and rescue camp on Kenya’s Serengeti is Anna Bekker’s life’s work. And it’s the last place she thought she’d run into Dr. Jackson Harper. As soon as he sets eyes on her four-year-old, Pippa, Anna knows he’ll never leave…without his daughter. 

Furious doesn’t begin to describe how Jack feels. How could Anna keep this from him? He has to get his child back to the States. Yet as angry as he is with Anna, they still have a bond. But can it endure, despite the ocean—and the little girl—between them?

The post Review: The Promise of Rain by Rula Sinara appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Occasionally confusing presentation, but I loved the art, so the book gets props for that.  This is a revenge story.  Gracie’s brother Steven runs off with a million of his employer’s euros.  Rocco De Marco isn’t amused.  If news of this leaks to the public, it will ruin his company.  When Gracie shows up looking for Steven, he makes a brash decision; he’ll keep her in his penthouse until Steven turns himself in.  Gracie, after putting up a fuss, realizes that she has nowhere else to stay.  She’s just been fired from her job, and after her landlord made a pass at her, she packed her suitcase and moved out.

Rocco accuses Gracie of helping Steven steal his money, and at first he doesn’t believe that they are siblings.  Gracie decides to prove that he’s wrong, and to make the best of a bad situation.  Rocco’s housekeeper just quit, so he offers Gracie the job.  Thinking that she can keep an eye on Rocco and learn if his people find her brother, she accepts the position.

Despite his belief to the contrary, Gracie and Rocco have a lot in common.  Both come from humble backgrounds, and both were treated horribly by a parent.  While Gracie is still struggling to find success, as well as keep a roof over her head, Rocco has made a fortune, all in an effort to get back at his father, who treated him like trash.  The final feather in his cap, marrying a socialite with a sterling pedigree, will seal his revenge.  Too bad he’s falling for Gracie, a woman with no social cred and someone he doesn’t even trust.

While this wasn’t a complete win for me, the art more than made up for some of the plot’s shortcomings.  Rocco is handsome, whipcord lean, blessed of gorgeous hair and a face to stop the hearts of ladies the world over.  Gracie is sweetly tomboyish, though stunning later in the book when she attends social outings with Rocco and she’s decked out in beautiful dresses. 

The ending wraps up a little too quickly, but I recommend this fast read if you have Scribd account.

Grade:  C+

Review copy read on Scribd

From Amazon:

Her little brother, Steven, has disappeared with a million euros in tow? Gracie, seeking a more detailed explanation of what happened, rushes to the company where her brother works. The president of the company, Rocco De Marco, meets with her to explain that her brother has stolen money from them and disappeared. Furthermore, they are also questioning her as if she is an accomplice to the crime. “You are an important person in relation to the incident. Until Steven appears, we would like you to stay in the company penthouse on the top floor of the building.” Isn’t this imprisonment?

The post Manga Review: The Legend of De Marco by Abby Green and Sae Nanahoshi appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

Review:

What a happy day!  I discovered a plethora of Harlequin manga on Scribd!  I love reading these, but I don’t like buying them, because I can read one in less than an hour.  Needless to say, my subscription at Scribd just became even more of a value.  There are tons and tons of these there, so I’ll be contentedly squeezing them into the review schedule.  Just as an FYI, the site just added comics from Marvel, IDW, Dynamite, and others, so if you enjoy comics, check out their selection.  I’m not a collector (anymore), I just want to read them, so the subscription based system works great for me and takes up less room in my house!

After browsing the Harlequin manga, I settled on One Hot Texan because, well, why not?  I was hoping for cowboys and horses, and I kind of got that, just not how I expected.  Cole McCallum hasn’t had an easy life.  His mother walked out on Cole and his father, and then his father was convicted of crimes and sent to jail.  Cole was sent to Texas to live with his grandmother, but he hated the small town and the gossip that followed him everywhere.  He couldn’t wait to leave it all behind him, and when he turned 18, that’s just what he did.  He packed up, left the grandmother who always loved and believed in him, and made it big in real estate.  But then trouble found him again, and brush with the law costs him his fortune.

Back in Texas, he needs to find a wife pronto of he’ll lose the ranch that his grandmother left to him.  While marriage of convenience stories aren’t my favorite, I did enjoy this one.  Cole meets shy Virginia, and he offers her a business deal.  She’s struggling to pay off bills since her mother passed away, so if she’ll marry him for the time required to inherit the ranch, he’ll give her a cash settlement that will pay off her bills and allow her to follow  her dream of attending college.

Ginny has been brow beaten by her mother her entire life, and as a result, she’s quiet, introverted, and longing for a change.  She wants to do something with her life, but her mother’s hateful words haunt her.  She was constantly told that men were evil, and they only wanted one thing, and worse, that she wished Ginny had never been born.  Obviously, Ginny’s mother needed counseling, and so does Ginny!  She keeps Cole at arms length, reminding him time and again that theirs is strictly a business arrangement.  As time passes, she begins to care about him, and she begins to wonder if maybe, just maybe, they can make this into a permanent arrangement, but then reality intrudes, and she sees that it’s impossible. Cole just wants the ranch, so he can sell it and start over with his real estate career.

Overall, I enjoyed One Hot Texan, but I thought that Ginny’s issues were far too complex to believably resolve in such a short comic.  Cole, too, has his trust issues, but he doesn’t really acknowledge them.  I did like how tender and protective he could be, but then he blew that by treating Ginny horribly when he thinks she purposefully did not take her birth control.  Dude!  You have a responsibility to help make sure she doesn’t forget to take them; the fact that she has a prescription does not absolve you of your due diligence.  How did you run a successful business? Oh, wait…you had a lapse of judgment there, too!

Except for the temper tantrum mentioned above, I did like Cole.  He just needed a kick in the pants to help him realize what was important in life. 

Grade:  C

Read on Scribd

From Amazon:

After spending his whole childhood being raised in an unhappy home, Cole McCallum turned rebellious, dating nothing but superficial women and gaining a bad reputation. He was the most despised person in town, except for those women smitten with him. Now, Cole needs a partner for a marriage of convenience and he picks the town’s latest bloomer, Virginia. He’s looking forward to giving this inexperienced virgin girl a night she’ll never forget. After their simple wedding ceremony, Cole kisses her deeply in their shared hotel room while caressing her body—and is met with an unexpected response!

The post Manga Review: One Hot Texan by Jane Sullivan and Masako Ogimaru appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

Review:

The Lone Sheriff caught my attention because the heroine, Maddie, is a Pinkerton agent, much to Sheriff Jericho Silver’s dismay.  He’s having a hard time catching the Tucker gang, a violent band of outlaws with a long list of crimes to their credit.  Jericho is expecting help from an experienced Pinkerton agent, but when Maddie steps off the train from Chicago, he feels like he’s been blindsided.  No way can a city slicker lady help him apprehend the bad guys.  Sorry, Jericho, you are about to have your world turned on its axis.

This is a fun read because Maddie is one feisty, capable woman.  She deals with Jericho’s objections to her assistance calmly and logically, and she’s determined to show him she’s more than able of pulling her weight.  Why, she can shoot better than he can because a previous run in with the Tucker gang has left him with a gunshot wound to his right wrist, a serious handicap because he can’t shoot as well left-handed.  Maddie brushes aside his resistance to her help, and slowly wins him over.  Though now that he cares for her, there’s another issue; Jericho watched as a friend died in his place, and he vowed to never let that happen again.  He works alone so he can’t put anyone else at risk. 

The historical western setting was a nice change of pace from the usual Regencies and contemporaries  I read.  The story takes place in Oregon during the 1870s, in the tiny town of Smoke River.  Maddie is  from an affluent family back East, and she’s also a widow.  She was unhappily married to a banker, and she swore she would never give up her freedom again.  Being an agent for the Pinkerton Agency gives her a purpose in life, and she feels that her work is very important.  She takes it very seriously, and isn’t amused that Jericho thinks so little of her skills.  Not to worry, though, she has ample opportunity to show him how wrong he is, both about gender equality and needing a little help from friends.

The Lone Sheriff is a quick, engaging read.  There are gun fights, tracking the outlaw gang, and quiet times spent in Smoke River.  I enjoyed getting to know Maddie, Jericho, as well as the rest of the town’s inhabitants.  The greatest conflict is Maddie’s reluctance to stay in Smoke River; she likes Chicago and all of the cultural amenities it provides.  She doesn’t think she could stand living in such a tiny place, and while she’s struggling with this decision, I couldn’t help but find her a little spoiled and over-indulged.  Would she make the right decision? 

This is the first book I’ve read by Lynna Banning, but it won’t be the last.  I liked Smoke River, and I’m looking forward to picking up Smoke River Bride.

Grade:  B

Review copy provided by author

From Amazon:

A WOMAN DETECTIVE? NOT ON HIS WATCH! 

As if tracking down train robbers wasn’t hard enough, now Sheriff Jericho Silver’s backup has arrived, and she’s a gun-toting, head-turning beauty. She sure spells trouble. 

Madison O’Donnell had the perfect life—a beautiful home and all the ladies’ luncheons she could stomach—but it left her bored to tears. Now a widow, she’s determined to fill her days with daring deeds and wild adventures. 

Jericho is equally determined that she’ll be on the next train home. But this is one lady who won’t take no for an answer…. 

“Another delightful, quick and heartwarming read.” —RT Book Reviews on Smoke River Bride

The post Review: The Lone Sheriff by Lynna Banning appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

Cathy Gillien Thacker dropped by the virtual offices to share a Top 5.   Check it out and be sure to enter to awesome giveaway below!

Top 5 things Gannon would never give Lily for a Valentine’s Day gift

1. Lingerie—Gannon likes Lily best in nothing at all.

2. Anything that would suggest she needs to get in better shape (i.e. diet books, a gym membership, a personal trainer).

3. A gift that’s really meant for him (a new sound system for their home entertainment group, a collection of famous guy movies, a sport court for their backyard).

4. An exotic animal like a snake or a monkey. When Gannon and Lily are ready for a pet, it’ll be a kid-friendly puppy or kitten for the whole family to enjoy.

5. A love letter he didn’t write himself. (i.e. something that was copied out of a book, or a scene in a movie)

Title: Lone Star Valentine

Author: Cathy Gillen Thacker

Format: Mass Market Paperback, eBook

Imprint: Harlequin American Romance

Price: $4.99

Release date: February 3, 2015

ISBN: 9780373755554

Book Description:

COMPROMISE…OR ALL-OR-NOTHING?
The heart-stopping attraction’s still there, but today Lily needs only one thing from old flame Gannon Montgomery—the best damn legal counsel ever. The stakes are high—custody of Lily’s son, Lucas. And the rules are clear. Lily’s not giving Gannon the chance to break her heart again. They can be friends. That’s all.
Not enough, thinks Gannon. He’s only in town to sell the family ranch, but Mayor Lily McCabe makes sticking around seem pretty attractive. He can see the desire in her eyes every time they’re thrown together. And with the court case and the Texas chili cook-off he’s been dragged into, that’s a lot. As the stress grows, so does the attraction. But Lily won’t compromise, and Gannon can’t let go. Someone’s gotta give!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Valentine-Harlequin-American-Romance-McCabe-Multip/dp/0373755554/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lone-star-valentine-cathy-gillen-thacker/1120111965?ean=9780373755554

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22892026-lone-star-valentine

About Cathy Gillen Thacker

Author bio: The love stories in my family have always been fodder for romance novels. To date, I’ve written and published over one hundred novels.  Many are out of print, many are coming back in print via e-readers.  (Hurrah!)  In each story, I try to provide a few laughs, maybe a few tears, a few problems that seem… at first… unsolvable.  As well as a lot of love.

I thank all the readers who have supported me and my work over the years, and I welcome all the new ones with open arms, and much gratitude.  Knowing I’ve made someone’s day a little brighter, with one of my books, is the best gift I could ever receive. Visit Cathy on her website CathyGillenThacker.com.

Website: http://www.cathygillenthacker.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathygthacker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CathyGillenThacker?sk=wall

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18192.Cathy_Gillen_Thacker

Grand Prize Giveaway

Harlequin’s Very Valentine’s Reads prize-pack includes:

If you follow the tour, there will be different prizes each week!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Week One

1/26/15 Parajunkee  – Interview with Victoria Dahl

1/27/15 Books Complete Me – Interview with Julia London

1/28/15 Paranormal Book Club – Interview with Sarah McCarty

1/29/15 Once Upon a Twilight – Guest Post by Lissa Manley

1/30/15 Wicked L’il Pixie – Interview with Lynda Aicher

Week Two

2/2/15 Smexy Books – Guest Post by Victoria Dahl

2/3/15 Library of a Book Witch – Guest Post by Julia London

2/4/15 Curling Up With A Good Book – Interview with Sara Arden

2/5/15 My Favorite Things – Guest Post by Sarah McCarty

2/6/15 Magna Maniac Cafe – Guest Post by Cathy Gillen Thacker

Week Three

2/9/15 BookHounds – Interview with Lissa Manley

2/10/15 Fiktshun – Guest Post with Lynda Aicher

2/11/15 The Phantom Paragrapher – Guest Post with Sara Arden

2/12/15 Babs Book Bistro – Interview with Cathy Gillen Thacker

2/13/15 Reading with ABC – Interview with Julia London

The post Harlequin’s Very Valentine’s Reads – Cathy Gillen Thacker, Author of Lone Star Valentine appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

BUY NOW

Amazon | Barnes | GooglePlay | iTunes | Kobo

 

 

There was something different in the way he looked at her today. His light blue eyes held a predatory gleam.

Impossible. The man had no interest in hunting her. It was wishful thinking on her part.

“Why are you here, Sean? I don’t remember you coming into the library before.” She tilted her head as she considered his lack of visits. “Do you have a library card?”

“I wanted to talk to you about your book club,” he said. “I want in.”

She blinked a few times. She couldn’t possibly have heard that correctly. “Excuse me?”

“I want to join your book club.”

He seemed serious. “Why?” The word dragged out of her mouth.

“Why do most people join a book club? To discuss books and read something out of their comfort zone.”

Isabel frowned. “You only read e-mails and business magazines.”

“True.” Sean nodded. “Time to broaden my horizons, don’t you think?”

“No. What are you up to, Sean?” She couldn’t figure out what his angle could be.

“When’s your next meeting?”

She straightened her shoulders. No, no, no. He wasn’t going to invade her book club. She wasn’t going to have him ask provocative questions or slice through her arguments. Okay, so that would be welcome in most book clubs, but she wasn’t going to share her thoughts with him about these books. “It’s by invitation only.”

“Then invite me.”

She shivered at his low and rough voice. “No.”

“Why not?”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Their meetings were her safe place. A time to bounce ideas off her friends and ask questions. After plenty of Sunday dinners with Sean, she knew the book club’s discussions would completely deteriorate into a battle of wills if he was there.

Sean rested his chin against his hand. “Are you worried that I would learn all your secrets? Find out all the tricks and tips from your readings?”

It was a concern. Knowledge was power. These books emboldened her and she was learning how to reach out and take what she wanted. But the bold side of her wasn’t fully formed, and she couldn’t discuss these subjects with him until it was.

“I want to join the book club,” he said firmly.

“No.” Never. Not going to happen.

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Susanna Carr is an award-winning author known for her contemporary romances. Readers throughout the world find Susanna’s stories a delightful escape that has often helped them through difficult times. Reviewers frequently describe her work as “fun”, “sexy” and “a must read.” When she isn’t writing or spending time with her family in the Pacific Northwest, Susanna enjoys reading romance and connecting with readers online.

Find Susanna Here

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

The post Spotlight and Giveaway: Let Them Talk by Susanna Carr appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

Please note that this review was originally posted at Romance @ Random

May Contain Spoilers:

I enjoy Maisey Yates’ writing, and I have a secret fascination with sheikhs, so how could I possibly resist Sheikh’s Desert Duty?  While I did ultimately enjoy the book, there are two plot points that kept me from enthusiastically recommending it.  Instead, I say read it with the following reservations.

First, it’s a kidnap trope. Zayn catches Sophie eavesdropping on him when he’s threatening James Chatsfield with bodily harm. The cad has gotten his younger sister pregnant, and Zayn just wants to choke the pompous ass to death.  When he discovers Sophie lurking in the shadows of the alley after James has made a hasty retreat, he isn’t sure how much she’s overheard.  To protect his family’s reputation and to stop yet another scandal from tainting the family name, he makes a drastic decision.  He’s going to take Sophie to his desert kingdom of Surhaadi until the entire thing blows over.

Sophie is a journalist digging up dirt on the Chatsfield family. They are trying to ruin her friend’s life, and Sophie’s not going to just sit idly by as Spencer Chatsfield takes over Isabelle’s hotel chain.  She is out for any information that will stop the sale, including hiding in rainy alleys spying on James. She doesn’t expect to be abducted.  But after Zayn makes a call to her boss, she finds herself on his private plane, jetting across the world.  Zayn has promised her boss an exclusive on his upcoming wedding, and now Sophie has no choice but to accompany him to Surhaadi.  If she doesn’t deliver the story, she’ll lose her job.

I don’t care for abduction stories. The hero holds all of the power, and the heroine is basically under his control.  Zayn never took advantage of the situation, but I am still not convinced that any romantic feelings under these circumstances would be real. Sophie even makes a reference to Stockholm syndrome, which made the background for their relationship even more jarring to me.

The other thing I didn’t like was that Zayn was engaged to be married. While his fiancée never makes an appearance, and it is made abundantly clear that he has no feelings for Christine and that their union was purely political, it still bothered me.  It made me question his character and wonder if he would be faithful to Sophie.  And for a guy who was avoiding scandals, this screamed “SCANDAL!!”

So, that’s what bothered me about the story.  Now I can share what I enjoyed.  I liked Sophie.  She is smart, funny, and driven.  After watching her mother ruin her life after falling in love with a married man, Sophie swore that she would never let that happen to her.  Love was a toxic thing for her mother, preventing her from seeking happiness.  Instead, she fawned after the crumbs of attention that were thrown her way.  Sophie’s father was never a presence in her life, and she resented that.  Her mother ignored her, her father never acknowledged her, and so she was determined to prove her worth to everyone.  Putting herself through school, struggling for everything she had, she worked with one goal in mind.  She wanted to make something of herself, confront her father, and make him see how worthy she is.

Love never played a part in her plans, and after a disappointing mashing of lips when she was in college, she determined that men were just not worth her time of day.  Zayn is the first man to make her heart race, and she finally begins to understand why her mother kept longing for the love of her life.  Sophie knows that Zayn is to be married soon, but she can’t stop herself from falling for him.  This finally made her see things from her mother’s perspective, though Sophie tells herself that she’s not going to let her feelings for Zayn to get out of hand. Ha!

Because of the problems I had with the plot, I can’t wholehearted recommend Sheikh’s Desert Duty.  I did enjoy it, but I had to push the problematic elements far to the back of my mind.  Since reader tolerance varies, some people might not be concerned with these points.  Yates’ writing is lively and engaging, so I would suggest reading it for that reason alone.

Grade:  B-/C+

Review copy provided by publisher

From Amazon:

A Chatsfield Scandal!

Journalist Sophie Parsons needs a scoop to stop the sale of her friend’s hotel chain. And she’s found it! But being abducted by a sheikh goes way beyond the call of duty… 

Sheikh Zayn Al-Ahmar has a wedding to arrange, a sister to protect and a country to rule. He’s not going to let one woman bring it all down with a headline! Kidnapping Sophie seemed like a good idea, but soon her delectable company puts everything he values at risk.  

Only one mistress can rule Zayn’s heart—will it be Sophie, or his duty?  

Welcome to The Chatsfield, New York!

The post Review: Sheikh’s Desert Duty by Maisey Yates appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

I enjoyed Midnight Games, the 2nd book in the Blue Dynasty series, so I’m happy to share an excerpt and giveaway for Just for Christmas Night by Lisa Marie Perry.

 

Excerpt:

Joaquin’s heart staggered, bearing the impact when he saw Martha waltz into the study a few steps ahead of her mother.

Some women had butts, others had asses. Martha had an ass, and it shone under the metallic gold-green fabric that fondled her slender body as she moved.

She was all bronze and shimmer and curves and long limbs, scarcely contained in a gown held together by strands of jewels.

A meaningful, appreciative glance passed between the attorneys, and Joaquin eyed them coldly.

Martha arrived at the desk, set down a shopping bag. “Merry Christmas, Pop.” She wiggled a sprig of something woven into her shiny, slicked hair.

Mistletoe. She’d tied mistletoe in her hair.

“Careful of my makeup,” she warned, offering her cheek for a kiss. To the rest of them, she said, “Excuse me, fellas, but my father insists that I knock, so—” She rapped on his desk obnoxiously.

“All right. All right.” Marshall’s smile appeared painful, but it was genuine. “Go, men. Enjoy the party.”

As the attorneys left, accepting drinks from the server waiting at his post, Joaquin approached Martha. She stood between her parents now, a treasure dangling out of his reach, a beauty out of his realm.

“Merry Christmas,” Joaquin said to her, presenting the oversize candy cane.

At the exact moment she ventured forward, suddenly near enough to taste.

Grab her face, lick into her mouth. Pull her close, drink her moans.

Rather than do it and have Tem threaten castration or Marshall call him out for a street fight, he laid the cane in her hand and murmured against her hair, “So you won’t steal mine the next time you’re in my ride.”

A snort of wry laughter or a smartass remark was expected. Not crystalline tears.

“I need to speak with my parents.” Taking the candy, she added in the silkiest whisper, “Tonight, if you want me, Joaquin, find me.”

It was the sexiest proposition he’d ever heard, or the most baffling. Either way, he left the office dazed, hard and confused.

The post Spotlight and Giveaway: Just for Christmas Night by Lisa Marie Perry appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I love books about mermaids, and I enjoyed Debbie Herbert’s first novel,  Siren’s Secret, so I was eager to dive into Siren’s Treasure (excuse the bad pun!).  Jet is my least favorite character of the three Borsage mermaids,  though, so it did take me a while to warm up to her.  She made some terrible decisions in her past, and they are about to bite her in the butt.  She has always felt like  an outsider with the merfolk, and her mother’s emotional distance left her desperate for acceptance.  She falls for the wrong man, giving her ex a powerful weapon to blackmail her with.  Regretful that she’s given him so much power over her, Jet fears she will never be rid of him, and that she’s put her race in danger of discovery.

When FBI agent Landry Fields enters her life, Jet is at a low point in her life.  Her shady ex has been released from prison and now he wants to go back into business with her, and he’s not taking no for an answer.  She’s just won a tough competition at the mermaid games, but nobody is excited for her triumph.  She wants to know why she’s treated so poorly by other mermaids, and why her mother insisted she spend so much time on land, but her mom’s not fessing up.  Frustrated and lonely, Landry’s intrusion into her life takes her by surprise.  She’s attracted to him, and even though they are at odds over his latest case, Landry can’t help but feel drawn to Jet as well.

I found the pacing of the story a little uneven, until Perry and his thug friends abduct Jet.  They need her to salvage something for them, and the thought of the millions it will bring them has them desperate to do anything to earn her cooperation.  Perry’s new acquaintances are dangerous, and they think everyone is disposable, even Perry.  They won’t hesitate to use extreme force to get what they want, because they have even more dangerous clients waiting to bid on the salvage, and they won’t take kindly to being disappointed if Jet doesn’t find it.  Failure is not an option!

The abduction/rescue sequence of events kept me rapidly turning the pages.  I loved this part of the book.  I liked how the other mermaids worked with Landry to rescue Jet, and I enjoyed getting to know Jet’s mother better. She’s a great character; even though she and Jet might have had their misunderstandings, nobody is going to stop Adriana from saving Jet from the unsavory criminals that have snatched her away.  I also loved how, ultimately, it was Jet who saved Landry, and his complete faith in her that she would succeed at that endeavor.  

Despite some bumps for me, I enjoyed Siren’s Treasure, and I’m really looking forward to Lily’s book.

Grade:  B-

Review copy provided by Author

From Amazon:

Deep in the bayou, a strange and beautiful world of merfolk exists… 

Mermaid Jet Borsage never fit in with her own kind. Her dark hair and eyes set her apart from the other merfolk. Which was why she fell for the wrong man, and why she is still paying the price. One that has made her unwilling to trust any man. Until she meets Landry Fields… 

Agent Landry Fields is investigating Jet’s former boyfriend, but he knows Jet is hiding something, as well. At first he believed the beauty was involved in her ex-boyfriend’s dangerous undersea excavations. But when he realizes he is falling for a real-live mermaid, Landry’s by-the-book beliefs are rocked. Now can he save Jet and her clan from modern-day pirates to claim a future with the feisty beauty?

The post Review: Siren’s Treasure by Debbie Herbert appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brutally frank look at one of the most racially charged moments in the history of the United States.  Sarah Dunbar is a teenager, and she’s one of the first black students to attend a traditionally white school in the south.  Sarah is a bright girl with a promising academic future – until her parents enroll her Jefferson High School.  She faces opposition every day, and the honor student’s schedule is full of remedial classes, because the school administrators don’t want these new, unwanted students holding back the rest of the class.  The white students don’t want her there, their parents don’t want her there, and even the faculty looks the other way as she is tormented daily. 

After reading this, all I can say is “Wow.”  I don’t know where Sarah found the strength to endure the daily abuses she suffered at the hands of her white classmates.  To say that she was constantly bullied understates her situation.  She was taunted, called names, spit on, tripped, pelted with spitballs – the list goes on.  There was no one at school for her to ask for assistance because the teachers practiced selective blindness when it was happening.  Before even starting at Jefferson, Sarah and the small group of teens who were selected to attend with her were given training and strict instructions to never talk back, to always be polite, and to never fight back.  I don’t think I could have done it.  I know I wouldn’t have lasted more than a day or two if I had been in Sarah’s shoes.

Linda is one of Sarah’s white classmates.  Her father is the editor for the local newspaper, and he is very outspoken in his thoughts on integration.  He is totally against it and he’s still fighting it, tooth and nail, even after the court order paving the way for Sarah to attend the former all white school.  Linda’s relationship with her father is contentious, but what she wants most in the world is his approval.  Even a shred of attention is uplifting.  To gain his approval, she parrots his views on the colored interlopers at her school, but as she gets to know Sarah, against her will, she starts to question her own poisonous views.

I enjoyed getting to know the girls so much.  The story is told in alternating POV, and Sarah’s narrative made it difficult to put the book down.  It took a while for me to warm up to Linda, because of the things she said and did.  Every now and again she would do the right thing, then, in the next breath, she would do something to negate her selfless acts.  Argh!  She made me so frustrated!

I don’t want to give away too much of the plot.  Lies We Tell Ourselves is a thought-provoking read that will make you angry, sad, and ultimately, hopeful.  I loved the ending, and it left me reassured that both Sarah and Linda would find their place in the world, and they would meet each new challenge with courage and strength.

Grade:  A

Review copy provided by publisher

From Amazon:

In 1959 Virginia, the lives of two girls on opposite sides of the battle for civil rights will be changed forever. 

Sarah Dunbar is one of the first black students to attend the previously all-white Jefferson High School. An honors student at her old school, she is put into remedial classes, spit on and tormented daily. 

Linda Hairston is the daughter of one of the town’s most vocal opponents of school integration. She has been taught all her life that the races should be kept “separate but equal.” 

Forced to work together on a school project, Sarah and Linda must confront harsh truths about race, power and how they really feel about one another. 

Boldly realistic and emotionally compelling, Lies We Tell Ourselves is a brave and stunning novel about finding truth amid the lies, and finding your voice even when others are determined to silence it.

The post Review: Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

Stranded with the Rancher caught my attention because the hero breeds thoroughbreds.  I’ve already stated that I have a one track mind when it comes to romances; include a few animals or just dangle their presence out there and I’m all over it.  The storm angle sounded interesting, too.  I get very anxious when the weather turns violent, so the thought of huddling in a storm shelter while a storm rages outside had me intrigued. 

The storm descriptions were kind of scary and oh-so hard to step away from.  I know that I would not have handled being trapped in a small storm cellar with half the grace that Beth managed.  I go all crankypants when the power goes out, and the thought of not being able to take a hot shower in the morning is enough to make me psychotic.  So when Beth and Drew flee from a twister, I was hyperventilating just the slightest bit.  When they were unable to open the storm shelter door, I was completely hooked on the story.  Now what?  I kept asking.  How are they going to get out?  What if there are bugs in their little bunker?  What if they have to sleep on the cold, hard ground?

Thankfully, their rescue isn’t too far away, and the experience buried the animosity that had boiled between Beth and Drew.  Beth had a hard life, and now that she’s purchased a small farm, she is determined to turn it into a thriving business so she never has to worry about making ends meet again.  Her roadside vegetable stand has got Drew up in arms.  He claims the constant traffic is scaring his million dollar horses, and the stand detracts from the beauty of his property.  He’s been trying to get her to move or buy her out, but she steadfastly refuses.  After the tornado, life has a different prospective for both of them.  Drew and Beth can’t deny their attraction, and with her house damaged by the twister, Beth wonders if life wouldn’t be easier if she just sold to Drew.

I liked the pacing, and thought that the story flowed effortlessly after all of the excitement caused by the storm.  The  nearby town is in ruins, and both Drew and Beth pitch in with cleanup and humanitarian efforts.   Beth’s brother, Audie, shows up to cause stress and chaos for her.  Audie’s a reckless, selfish man, and his frequent run-ins with the law are a testament to how messed up his life is.  Every time he needs money, he shows up at Beth’s.  He has stolen from her, embarrassed her, and made it generally impossible for her to harbor loving feelings for him.  It seems that all he’s good at is disrupting her life.

Drew was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, while Beth’s mother begged for money on the streets and sold everything of value for a few extra bucks.  Beth scrabbled for everything she has, and if she’s honest, she is a bit jealous that Drew’s had everything handed to him.  This resentment is what originally made their relationship so combative.  Drew always gets what he wants, so Beth was determined to never give him her property.  He wanted it to expand his pastures, using her land, and he was having a hard time taking “no” for an answer.

I loved how their relationship changed after the storm.  Drew is a thoughtful, caring man, and once he’s gotten to know Beth better, all he wants to do is help her.  His desire to help Beth causes a lot of conflict between them, because of Beth’s pride.  Having lived on handouts as a child, she refuses to accept them now that she’s an adult.  After helping with the relief efforts, though, she slowly realizes that relying on your friends isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of being part of strong community.

Stranded with the Rancher will appeal to both fans of small towns and cowboys.  Being part of the Desire imprint, there’s some steam, but not too much.  Overall, I found it a very entertaining read, and I’ll be tracking down Janice Maynard’s backlist.

Grade:  B

Review copy provided by publisher

From Amazon:

Enemies forced together just might become lovers in USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard’s Texas Cattleman’s Club tale 

For billionaire horse breeder Drew Farrell, the day starts with the usual argument with ornery neighbor Beth Andrews. But within minutes, he and the irritating beauty are huddled together in a storm cellar praying for their lives. They call a truce…and seal it with an unexpected kiss. 

They emerge to a scene of utter devastation. Their passion to rebuild is only rivaled by the very personal passion they’ve just discovered…until Beth’s past catches up with her, and a very different type of storm erupts….

The post Review: Stranded with the Rancher by Janice Maynard appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

Please give a warm welcome to Anne Marsh this morning! 

Top 5 Things You’ll Never Find in Cal’s Glovebox by Anne Marsh 

Cal Brennan is six feet of hard, rugged, bad-ass former Navy SEAL who worked as a rescue swimmer before returning to Discovery Island. Apparently, quite a few of us like to go poking around in our friends’ gloveboxes (carinsurance.com claims it’s 63% of us), but if you popped the glovebox in Cal’s truck, there are a few things you’d never find. Ever.

1. Hand sanitizer. Cal’s not afraid to get his hands dirty—and he’s the kind of guy who dives into shark-infested waters or the wake of a tsunami without blinking an eye. Bacteria’s not something he’s worried about.

2. Ketchup packets and other condiments. Cal likes things neat. If he got stuck in a blizzard and had to eat the leftovers stashed in his truck, he’d be a dead man (unlike me).

3. Random tools. A glovebox isn’t enough. He’s got himself an enormous toolbox with all the spare fuses, gauges and screwdrivers a man could need (or three men).

4. A dead flashlight. Cal’s always ready to ride to the rescue. He’s got himself a full survival kit in that glovebox. If you need a utility knife or a survival blanket, he’s your man. When the zombie apocalypse hits, I want to be riding in his front seat.

5. His scuba diving knife. That puppy’s on his dive boat with the rest of his gear.

About the Author

After ten years of graduate school and too many degrees, Anne Marsh escaped to become a technical writer. When not planted firmly in front of the laptop translating Engineer into English, Anne enjoys gardening, running (even if it’s just to the 7-11 for slurpees), and reading books curled up with her kids. The best part of writing romance, however, is finally being able to answer the question: “So… what do you do with a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures?” She lives in Northern California with her husband, two kids and four cats.

Newsletter | Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Wicked Nights

Men of Discovery Island #2

By: Anne Marsh

Releasing October 1st, 2014

Harlequin

Blurb

Winner takes it all…off 

Former diving champion Piper Clark never loses. Unfortunately, if she doesn’t land this lucrative contract, her diving business will fail. Worse still, it will be at the hands of her childhood nemesis, Cal Brennan—six feet of hard, rugged former Navy SEAL. So Piper proposes a wager: whoever loses the diving contract must take orders from the winner…in bed. 

Cal needs this contract for his own reasons. A former rescue swimmer, he may be having a few issues with diving since his last mission ended, but Piper doesn’t need to know that. Something about her impulsive nature makes Cal rise to the bait, and there’s nothing he’d like more than to show Piper exactly what rules are good for. 

All bets are on. And someone’s about to start playing dirty….

Link to Follow Tour: http://www.tastybooktours.com/2014/07/wicked-nights-men-of-discovery-island-2.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21911615-wicked-nights?from_search=true

Buy Links

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Nights-Harlequin-Blaze%5CUniformly-Hot/dp/0373798199/

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wicked-nights-anne-marsh/1119127445?ean=9780373798193

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/wicked-nights/id874161362?mt=11

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/wicked-nights-6

Author Info

I live in Northern California with my husband, two kids and six cats. After ten years of graduate school and too many degrees, I escaped to become a technical writer. When not planted firmly in front of the laptop translating Engineer into English, I enjoy gardening, running (even if it’s just to the 7-11 for slurpees), and reading books curled up with my kids. The best part of writing romance, however, is finally being able to answer the question: “So… what do you do with a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures?” You can visit me online at www.anne-marsh.com.

Author Links

Website: http://www.anne-marsh.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/annemarshauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anne_marsh/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AnneMarsh

Excerpt (Sexy)

Piper Clark cut hard right, the prow of her motorboat slicing through the clear blue water, yards in front of his. He’d have recognized that impish, take-no-prisoners grin anywhere.

Plus, she flipped him the bird as her wake hit his deck, soaking both him and his gear.

Definitely Piper.

Good thing for her he’d grown up in the past twenty years. Cal Brennan’s ten-year-old self would have gunned his motor and gotten even, racing her for Discovery Island’s marina until he’d swamped her deck every bit as much as she’d swamped his. Tit for tat—those were the rules of engagement they’d always competed by. Still, he picked up speed, hugging her wake—and was just in time to watch as she maneuvered her boat into the last decent slip. Mentally, he readjusted his assessment of his maturity. Score one for Piper. He forced his fingers to unclench from the wheel, counted to ten and concentrated on searching out an empty slip. She waved jauntily as he motored past her, close enough to read the name painted on the boat’s side. What kind of name was The Feelin’ Free anyhow?

She’d always named things badly. He distinctly recalled being hit over the head with a stuffed teddy bear named Grand Poo-bah. There had also been a rescue puppy named Mr. Cuddles. Mr. Cuddles had been a mostly deaf white Boxer with a severe drool problem. Mr. Cuddles had moved on to the Happy Hunting grounds some years before, but apparently Piper’s lack of naming skills had stuck.

Not that the other four thousand full-time residents on Discovery Island would mind. Twenty-two miles long and eight miles wide, the island’s main selling point was its horseshoe-shaped bay with postcard-perfect deep blue water, dotted by boats and two piers. The pier for the cruise ships stretched out into deeper water, but the shorter pier was pure pleasure and clear at the other end of town. The good folks of Discovery Island had named that pier Pleasure Pier and the broad strip of creamy, palm-tree studded sand fronting an old-fashioned boardwalk was Primrose Path. The hotels, shops and restaurants lining the street sported even worse names in Cal’s opinion. Good Time, Please Your Eye, Wine, Women and Song. The daily influx of tourists who ferried over from the California coastline to explore the boardwalk loved the names. Or they simply loved diving, fishing, zip lining or doing any one of the hundreds of activities on offer. Discovery Island was big on keeping busy.

Grabbing his sodden gear bag and his deck shoes, he padded barefoot along the dock, enjoying the heat from the sun-warmed boards soaking into his feet. He and Piper had business, more so than usual. The familiar, soothing noises of the marina washed over him as he fielded greetings from the occasional other boaters and closed in on his target. Discovery Island’s marina was a hopping place, but the blue water with its glint of fish and kelp were an invitation to take it easy, as was the familiar bouquet of sea salt, motor oil and Neoprene rubber filling the air. Lazy waves broke against the docks, slapping fiberglass hulls, and he could just make out the beach boardwalk. On a summer day like today, the place bustled with tourists looking for the quintessential California dream. It was also an ideal day for diving, but he’d stuck to the surface. He hadn’t strapped on a tank or even free dived. Not him. He’d had a nice swim, stuck his head under water and promptly panicked.

Just like yesterday.

And every other day since his last dive as a U.S. Navy rescue swimmer. The dive boats he passed, loading and unloading, were an unwelcome reminder of what he’d lost. Temporarily. Somehow, he’d get his head on straight, would figure out how to get back in the game and back in the water. He’d never failed before; he wouldn’t start now. He had too much riding on his ability to dive.

Turning the corner and spotting Piper’s boat was almost a relief. The sighting was definitely a welcome distraction from the panicked voice in his head asking, What if you don’t get back in the game? What if you never dive again? Hearing voices was never a good sign.

“Piper Clark,” he bit out, relieved to have something to do. Setting his gear bag down on the dock, he moved to the edge where she’d tied up.

Retreat the inner voice demanded. Stand your ground, sailor, his body urged.

Piper was naked.

Okay, so, she wasn’t totally naked, but a man could dream.

Somehow, he’d timed his arrival at her slip for the precise moment she grabbed the zipper running up the back of her wet suit. Undeterred by his presence—because surely she’d heard him snap her name—she pulled, the Neoprene suit parting slow and steady beneath her touch.

Hello.

Each new inch of sun-kissed skin she revealed made certain parts of him spring to life.

If someone had asked him what the over-under was on his seeing Piper naked, he’d have bet heavily against his spotting so much as a sliver of her bare flesh. If he’d expressed an interest, Piper would have shot him down, hard and fast. After all, she didn’t like him any more than he liked her. Their shared past was proof of that.

Even as he reminded himself she’d spent most of their early days trying to either torment or kill him, his eyes were busy. Piper’s arms were spectacular, strong and toned from hour after hour of pulling herself through the water and then back up into the boat. Diving wasn’t for the weak, and she’d had a professional platform-diving career long before the accidental collision five years ago between his boat and her Jet Ski had destroyed her right knee. After she’d rehabbed on the mainland, she’d up and moved full-time to Discovery Island. Island gossip hadn’t shared with him the reasons behind the move, but since he’d come back himself, he had to assume she simply loved the place as much as he did. Now she was looking sexier than any stripper, uncovering skin tanned a rich golden brown from time outdoors. The way she’d braided her water-slicked hair in a severe plait only drew his attention to the deceptively vulnerable curve of her neck.

But this was Piper.

So dragging his tongue over her skin and tasting all the places where she was still damp from her dive should have been the last thing on his mind. He’d read her the riot act about her careless driving and say his piece about tomorrow’s business meeting. Then he’d go his way and she’d go hers. After all, he’d been back on the island for almost six months and had managed to avoid all but the briefest of interactions with her. They said hello, goodbye (he suspected she preferred the latter) and nodded tersely at each other from across the street. Life was much quieter that way, because Piper invariably did plenty of yelling when she spent too much time around him.

The wet suit hit her waist.

Neither short nor tall, Piper had medium brown hair, brown eyes and a slim build. Those cut-and-dried facts didn’t begin to do the woman in front of him justice, however. They certainly didn’t begin to explain why he unexpectedly found her so appealing or why he wanted to wrap an arm around her and take her down to the deck for a kiss. Or seven. He didn’t like Piper. He never had. She’d also made it plenty clear he irritated her on a regular basis.

So why was he staring at her like a drowning man?

And…score another point for Piper. Like many divers, she hadn’t bothered with a bikini top beneath the three-millimeter wet suit. His kiss quota rocketed up to double digits.

“Piper.” His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears. Focus. Adrenaline rushed through him, sweat dampening his skin. He forced himself to breathe in, slow and easy. To push his heartbeat down and make the sudden energy pumping through his veins work for him. This wasn’t a rapid rappel down to a crash site to search for survivors or a midnight recon of a hostile-infested beach. Nope. This was Discovery Island, a good place with good people. He was home.

Without acknowledging his greeting, she bent over, shoving the heavy suit down her legs and his throat went dry. Game over. Silver earbuds, which explained why she hadn’t answered him, flashed as she shimmied, working the suit off. Like always, Piper was off in her own world, marching to her own beat. Ignorant of his presence, she gave him ample opportunity to admire the longest, sleekest legs he’d ever seen. Her blue-and-white striped bikini bottom was all practicality, although the conservative cut still clung to her butt. Her water-darkened braid slid over her shoulder, and he wanted to fist her hair, holding her in place as he ran his hands up those legs and parted her for his kiss. Which made him a first-class bastard, even if he kept those thoughts to himself.

Yeah. But she clearly had more than one advantage on her own side.

He didn’t negotiate, he reminded himself. He acted. Decided, he approached the boat, knocking on the side to draw her attention.

She jumped, her head swinging around toward him. “If it isn’t my favorite SEAL.” She flashed him a grin as she popped the earbuds out, taking in his soaking-wet jeans and damp T-shirt. “Had a mishap?”

She knew precisely what had happened.

He dropped down off the dock, onto her boat. Deliberately, he let his feet hit the deck hard, savoring her little flinch. She wasn’t as off balance as she’d made him, but it was something. He’d take every advantage he could get because, Christ, she still wasn’t wearing a bikini top. Instead of covering her breasts or grabbing for a towel, she glared at him as if this whole situation was his fault. She was lucky her slip put her out of the line of sight of the other boaters in the marina and he was the only one who could see her. Piper flashed him, and any thoughts he’d had of being a gentleman flew out of his head. He imagined cupping her soft curves in his palms, rubbing his thumbs over the tips. He’d just bet she was a moaner, and—

He jerked his gaze back up to her face. “We’ve got to talk.”

Rafflecopter Giveaway ($25 Amazon Gift Card)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Guest Post and Giveaway: Anne Marsh, Author of Wicked Nights appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

The Christmas deluge begins!  I decided to give A Princess by Christmas a read because I have enjoyed other Jennifer Faye titles, and how can you go wrong with a prince?  Or a holiday themed romance?  The story doesn’t stray outside of familiar tropes, making it a little predictable, but it’s still an entertaining time killer. 

The only stumbling block for me was the set up.  I still don’t understand why Alex had to leave his island home in order to throw the press off of his brother’s trail.  He did all of his breadcrumb tossing from his laptop, so it didn’t really  matter where he was.  Regardless, Alex has left home without his security detail, to make sure that his brother’s indiscretion never makes it to the papers.  There are subversive elements in his homeland, and they won’t hesitate to use Demetrius’  elopement against him.  Who wants to be ruled by a reckless, impulsive king?  Demetrius is next in line for the throne, and to save his family’s reputation, Alex plans to send the paparazzi on a wild goose chase.

When Alex arrives at Reese’s small inn, he’s dismayed to learn that there are no rooms available.  Even though he’s already paid for his stay.  Reese is stressed out as it is; there’s a wedding party renting the entire place out, and though that’s good news, with the bank is breathing down her neck, it’s got her running on all four cylinders.  Her father left her and her mother saddled with an overwhelming load of debt, and she despairs at keeping all of her employees on the payroll through the holidays.  Her mother remembers taking Alex’s reservation, but didn’t enter it into the computer.  Instead, she ran Alex’s credit card, and just kind of forgot about their pre-paid guest.  To make up for it, she suggests, much to Reese’s dismay, that he stay in their small apartment.  Reese concedes that she has to make good on their promise to provide him with a room, though she’s not looking forward to giving up her room and sleeping on the couch until a room is freed up for Alex.  The money finally persuades her; it will keep the bill collectors off her back for a while.

Both Reese and Alex are harboring poor opinions of love.  Reese’s world fell apart when her father was killed in a car accident on Christmas Eve. The real kicker; he was abandoning them, and on his way to start a new life with his mistress.  He left behind two broken hearted women and a massive wall of debt that he incurred preparing for that new life.  Reese had to quit school and give up her dreams to take care of her devastated mother.

Alex is suffering from horrible guilt.  He feels responsible for his mother’s death, as well as his father’s broken heart.  He thinks that love leads to heart ache and makes you weak, and so he’s determined to never fall in love himself.  Reese changes his mind, though it takes a long time for him to accept that true love is more worthwhile than blind devotion to duty.

A Princess by Christmas is an emotionally satisfying book that even manages to work Dr. Seuss in the storyline.  Add to that a fantasy come true and a beautiful island kingdom, and you have a sweet read.

Review copy provided by author

From Amazon:

A royal kiss under the mistletoe 

Prince Alexandro Castanovo arrives in snowy New York intent on protecting his royal family from scandal. And when Reese Harding—down-to-earth and heart-stoppingly beautiful—finds room for him at her inn, it seems like the perfect twist of fate. 

Not long ago Reese’s world came crumbling down, shaking her foundations. But this enigmatic stranger intrigues her! She’s learned to be wary of secrets…but when she discovers Alex’s true identity, might there be enough magic in the air to make this regular American girl a princess by Christmas…?

The post Review: A Princess by Christmas by Jennifer Faye appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.

May Contain Spoilers

Review:

I had a hard time with Winning Ruby Heart.  I was fascinated with the premise, especially with all of the reports of terrible behavior by athletes during the last week.  While Ruby hasn’t committed domestic abuse, she has committed abuse of another kind: she doped before the Olympics, costing her a gold medal and leaving her reputation in tatters.  She was forced to forfeit the one thing she lived for.  Now she can no longer participate in any Olympic sport, and for a period of five years, she can’t compete in any sport at all. 

The story begins right after her five year suspension has ended.  Ruby has always loved running, and she can’t give it up.  She’s competing in her first ultramarathon, and as luck would have it, Micah Blackwell, the reporter responsible for crumpling up the last of her career and tossing it in the trash, is covering the race.  He recognizes Ruby and is instantly curious.  Why is she there?  What is she up to?  Is she breaking her suspension by participating in the race?  He smells a story, and he won’t rest until he’s uncovered it.  Besides, there’s an anchor slot available at his network, and he knows that this story will seal the deal for him and give him his dream job.

My biggest problem with Winning Ruby Heart was Ruby herself.  I didn’t understand her.  She was already the best in the world at her distance, so why did she allow herself to be talked into cheating?  She is firmly convinced that she would have won the race anyway, but she let her coach chide her into blood doping.  Everyone is doing it is not a good enough reason to risk your entire livelihood and your ability to participate in the one thing you love most in the world.  She knew the consequences if she got caught, but she cheated anyway.  Worse, when she was first interviewed by Micah, she wasn’t even repentant. With his skillful prodding, she came across as spoiled and self absorbed, and certainly unworthy of a second chance.

The romance left me unmoved as well.  At 29, Ruby has always been dependent on her parents.  She lives in their home, her father’s law firm has been handling her legal matters at no cost to her, and with no job, she has no means to support herself.  Her parents are fearful that she’ll embarrass them again, and they make no secret of their disapproval.  Once Micah reenters Ruby’s life, they know it’s only a matter of time before the family is paraded through the papers again, making their lives a nightmare.

I wasn’t convinced that Ruby and Micah made a good match.  Micah has had to work hard for everything he has, while Ruby was given the world on a silver platter – which she promptly threw away.  After an accident on the football field leaves Micah paralyzed, he turns all of the energy and dedication that made him a stand out player into becoming a stand out sports reporter.  And that was where all of my skepticism for their  HEA flourished.  When Micah was kicked on his backside, he found the strength and the willpower to reinvent himself.  Ruby crawled into a hole and hid.  I just don’t see them making it for the long haul, because I wonder what Ruby will do when things go south again?  Even with Micah’s support, she doesn’t come across as a fighter to me, and she’s not one to deal adequately with adversity.

I found the training interesting, and I can’t remember reading romance with a paralyzed hero in a long time.  I enjoyed the introduction of Dotty into Ruby’s life (because dogs make everything better), but overall, I was disappointed with Winning Ruby Heart.

Grade:  C

Review copy provided by publisher

From Amazon:

It’s a race to their beginning…

Exposing world-class athlete Ruby Heart’s cheating scandal five years ago made reporter Micah Blackwell’s career. Falling in love with her now could end it. Yet watching her determination to return to the top, he can’t resist the woman she has become. 

Working with Ruby to tell America her story, Micah falls deeper under her spell. But at a crucial moment, his feelings for her conflict with his job—the very thing that once saved him. Now he must choose between his skyrocketing career and the unlikely love of a good woman….

The post Review: Winning Ruby Heart by Jennifer Lohmann appeared first on Manga Maniac Cafe.